Big John's PFI is the top of my shopping list and near to Samurai Noodle/Uwajimaya. Nearby is Kau Kau, for a pound of so of BBQ Pork takeout.Down on 4th South ? is Cash & Carry Commisary for wholesale big jugs of groceries and a pretty great offering of dairy, meat, produce. If you are shoping for right away, the produce shop on the South side of Jackson is surely cheap, though much has been in the shop too long, so you got to eat it before it goes altogether over.The Ballard Market, a Thriftway, has it all, and I sure hope you've met Trader Joes.

My strategy is this, and it helps that I live just a few blocks from a Metropolitan Market.

Saturday, show up at the U-district farmers market at 9. I buy eggs, any meat I can, cheese, and produce (that I don't have from my bi-weekly CSA). Then I throw everything in a cooler and head to Uwajimaya. There I buy my fish, and meat that I couldn't get at the farmers market, and produce (About once a month I make a Costco run after this). Finally, I hit up Metropolitan Market for everything that I couldn't get at the Farmer's Market or Uwajimaya. Though sometimes I'll go to Whole Foods if I need something from the bulk isle, or something else that Metropolitan Market won't have.

Occasionally, when I'm low on spices, I hit World Spice Merchants after Uwajimaya. On those days, I tend to skip Metropolitan Market. I just get the rest of my stuff at Pike Place Market.

My family in NJ and NC finds it odd that I shop at so many different places, but between bargains, specialty items and produce, a girl cannot live on one grocer alone. I learned this from a summer in france and living w/ family in the UK, but i buy meat from a butcher (or rancher at a FM), bread from a bakery, fish from my fish monger, produce from a farmer, etc. Fill in w/ sale items at QFC or TJ's and Met Market for specialty.